Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale (Simon & Schuster, 2002, ISBN: 9780689867040) by Holly Black is a book every teenage fantasy fan should read, particularly those who enjoy books about changelings and dark faeries. Black’s writing and characterization are strong, and teens will find it easy to relate to free-spirited Kaye, the novel’s main character.
Tithe Plot Summary: A Lyrical Book About Fairy Changelings
Sixteen-year-old Kaye leads an unusual life: travelling across America with her rocker mother and her band; hanging out with a band of mischievous faeries named Gristle, Spike, and Lutie-Loo. But when Kaye meets Roiben, a powerful Seelie Court faerie forced to act as an assassin for the wicked Unseelie Court, it turns even her bizarre existence upside-down.
Soon Kaye discovers that she is not human at all, but a faerie changeling (specifically, a green-skinned pixie) given human form by a spell. Kaye learns that she is being used as a pawn by the Solitary Faeries, who wish to remain free of the Unseelie Court. From here, the plot takes a number of twists and turns as Kaye scrambles to save herself and Roiben, her romantic interest, from the machinations of various faeries, both light and dark.
Tithe Review: A Modern Faerie Tale for YA Readers
If nothing else, Tithe is a beautifully written novel, full of elegant descriptions and dark, intriguing characters. Parents be warned: Kaye is no mild-mannered Bella Swan or Susan Pevensie; she smokes, swears, gets into trouble, and otherwise acts the part of a normal teenager. In one passage, Kaye describes the sun setting over the sea as looking like someone who “slit his wrists in a bathtub and the blood is all over the water...and the moon is just watching. She’s just watching him die. She must have driven him to it.” It’s a melodramatic but lovely image, one which suits perfectly this entertaining, wholly unique protagonist. Teens will likely appreciate Black’s honest depiction of the teenage experience while enjoying the perspective of the flawed but admirable Kaye.
Tithe runs out of steam at the end, dissolving into an unnecessarily complicated climax and a too-short denouement, but fortunately this doesn’t diminish the charm of the novel as a whole. This is a book that will stick with you after you read it. The faeries are mischievous and often downright nasty, which is good news for readers who prefer the darker faeries of myth and legend over their Disneyfied counterparts.
Tithe the Movie: Fact or Fiction?
Several sites have stated that movie versions of the Tithe series are in the works, including Faerie Drink, Holly Black’s “official” fansite, and the online entertainment publication Monsters and Critics. Fans may be forgiven for being confused about the status of any Tithe film, as Black has done little to confirm or deny the rumours. She writes cryptically in a May 2009 livejournal post, “In Answer to the Movie Question,” that “there are a bunch of rumours going around, but there’s still no news fit to share. So, for right now, the answer is still no.”
What does this mean for fans hoping for a movie version of Tithe? From the sounds of things, they’ll have to wait a little longer for any definite news.
Overall, Tithe is an admirable effort by Holly Black, who also co-wrote the popular (and also recommended) Spiderwick Chronicles series. It’s sure to appeal to teens who enjoy books about changelings and faerie intrigue, though parents may balk at some of the decidedly non-PG elements of the story.
Teens who enjoy Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale may also like these YA fairy books:
Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr (review)
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce (review)
Heather Fawcett - Heather Fawcett is a Vancouver-based writer and editor. She holds an M.A. in English Literature and specializes in teen fiction, having ...
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